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Escalante Named Santa Cruz Interim Chief of Police

GT Staff

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October 21, 2021

Escalante Named Santa Cruz Interim Chief of Police

Santa Cruz Police Deputy Chief Bernie Escalante has been appointed to serve as the Interim Chief, effective Oct. 30.

A Santa Cruz native, Escalante is a 25-year veteran of the Santa Cruz Police Department, having started his career as a community service officer in 1996.

Since then, he served as a patrol officer, sergeant, detective and tactical team leader, among other assignments. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2009, where he managed the Investigations Division and was the Commander of the Emergency Services Unit Tactical Team. He was also the primary lieutenant in the Neighborhood Policing Unit.

He was appointed to the rank of Deputy Chief in February 2020.

“Interim Chief Escalante will bring to the position a deep knowledge of department operations and officers and a sharp focus on serving the needs of the community,” said Interim City Manager Rosemary Menard in a press release. “He brings a track record of results, particularly in investigations and neighborhood policing, and I am confident in his leadership as he takes on this critical role for the City.”

In a press release, Escalante stated that he plans to, “hit the ground running” in trying to fill in for outgoing Police Chief Andy Mills.

“My first priorities will be building our staffing and expanding on the trusting community relationships and innovative problem-solving brought to Santa Cruz by Chief Mills,” he stated. “I am constantly impressed by the dedication and professionalism of our law enforcement team here in Santa Cruz, and I am honored to lead this dynamic department as an Interim Chief.”

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

Escalante will serve in the role of Interim Chief until a permanent appointee is named, which is expected to occur following the appointment of a permanent City Manager, city spokeswoman Elizabeth Smith said.

Pressure Mounts on UC System to Reach Agreement with Lecturer Workforce, Strikes Loom

CalMatters and GT Staff

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October 21, 2021

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Pressure Mounts on UC System to Reach Agreement with Lecturer Workforce, Strikes Loom

BY MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN, CalMatters

With the threat of multiple strikes this fall that could cancel instruction for a third of undergraduate students, the University of California has inched closer to meeting some demands of its more than 6,000 lecturers. It’s a move that coincides with increased pressure from state lawmakers to resolve the labor dispute that has been going on for more than two years.

The lecturers say the UC’s latest offer from last Monday — which promises increased job security — is a step in the right direction. But they’re not pleased yet because it falls way short of the salary bumps they seek and includes other loopholes they find troubling. Chief among them? The new job stability provisions would kick in next summer, creating the possibility for mass dismissal of current lecturers, the union representing lecturers said.

There’s no “ulterior motive,” said Letitia Silas, head of labor relations for the UC, the state’s third-largest employer, in an interview with CalMatters.

But now there may be signs of resolution for the two sides. For the first time since June, the lecturer union and UC officials will meet Friday to discuss the latest contract proposal.

“We believe that our comprehensive package proposal is fair and competitive, including our proposal on wages,” said Silas, adding that the UC’s latest offer “does respond to the issues that the union has raised.”

It’s a meeting lecturers have sought since last week and threatened to strike over if they had not gotten it. Still, another strike may occur later in the fall if the lecturer union doesn’t get the contract terms it wants. Hundreds of tenured and tenure-track professors of the UC have pledged to cancel classes in solidarity with lecturers.

“I do believe it’s the UC administration’s fault for not coming to a resolution sooner, and for not ending this impasse,” said Assemblymember Ash Kalra, a Democrat from San Jose and chair of the Assembly committee on labor and employment.

He and 11 other assemblymembers have signed a letter addressed to UC President Michael Drake that went out Tuesday, urging him to “prioritize labor peace and job stability for lecturers.” Other lawmakers have issued their own letters with the same sentiment, such as Dr. Richard Pan, a former UC faculty member who’s now a Senate Democrat representing Sacramento.

But there may be limits to mutual understanding. The UC denies that lecturers are being pushed out of their positions to make way for cheaper instructors, a chief union allegation.

Asked whether lecturers leave of their own volition, Silas, the head of UC’s labor relations, said “yes, some do.” Does that imply most leave for other reasons, such as being pushed out? Silas didn’t directly answer that.

“The term ‘pushed out’ is a mischaracterization,” Silas said. “The university has proposed to continue the dialogue with the union … if there does appear to be an issue of a trend, and to address those things with the union.”

For more than two years UC-AFT, the union representing lecturers, has been at a standstill with the UC Office of the President over a new labor contract that provides them with greater job stability.

A CalMatters investigation showed that a quarter of lecturers — instructors typically with doctorates who provide about a third of the instruction undergraduates at the UC receive — don’t come back annually. Though the data CalMatters obtained doesn’t show why lecturers churn at rates higher than other education workers, a key grievance among them is that the UC doesn’t offer continuous work. Instead, most lecturers have to reapply for their jobs every quarter or year and rarely know if they’ll have a job after their short contracts expire.

Core to the union’s demands is a promise to have lecturers evaluated so that their bosses can make informed hiring and dismissal decisions. Such a review system doesn’t exist at the UC for most lecturers, though it does at the larger California State University.

For some students, the lack of an evaluation for lecturers is perplexing.

“I want my teacher to be someone that knows what they’re doing,” said Sofia Stuart, a second-year biology major at UCLA who took part in a protest organized by lecturers last week. Without lecturer reviews, the UC could just hire inexperienced lecturers or renew ineffective ones, she said.

Natalie Lim, another UCLA student at the protest, held a sign calling for multi-year contracts for lecturers. “I want my institution to have morals and it doesn’t really feel like that right now,” she said.

The letter from lawmakers zeroes in on the lack of an evaluation process.

“By refusing to evaluate lecturers or use a merit-based retention process, the University also fails to foster a skilled teaching faculty, instead punishing experience and letting excellent faculty go arbitrarily,” the letter said. “Sadly, UC students are being cheated of educational continuity and dependable mentorship.”

Job stability and evaluations

The latest UC offer would go a long way to assuring more job stability for lecturers, but with key caveats.

The system now proposes three types of contracts of increasing length that add up to six years: a one-year contract, then a two-year contract and finally a three-year contract. That’s more stability than the UC’s previous offer of two one-year contracts followed by two two-year contracts. None of those came with any promise of evaluations.

The UC is also proposing a formal review before the three-year contract, the first such offer in these negotiations and a big win for lecturers. But UC is proposing just an “assessment” before the two-year contract. And the union doesn’t really know what that means. Lecturers don’t have clarity on what factors upon which a review would be based.

The UC’s summary of its latest offer last Monday mentioned a review process after three years but not after one.

Silas, the UC labor relations chief, disputes that lecturers after their first year wouldn’t get an evaluation based on their teaching ability. “I’ll have to say that that’s probably an oversight on my part,” she said, in response to a question about why the summary letter omitted a reference to a first-year review.

Because the average duration for a lecturer at the UC is two years, having job security earlier in their tenures would likely go a long way to lowering lecturer churn.

The formal offer’s language on a review after the first year “doesn’t even come close to the robust evaluation after the third year,” said Mia McIver, president of the lecturer union and herself a lecturer.

But even the new review process after three years comes with asterisks that alarm the union. One says that a lecturer who passes their evaluation and is owed a three-year contract can still be hired for just a year if the department thinks the class the lecturer is teaching won’t be around the following year.

McIver said that may look fair, but what happens if the department decides to keep the class anyway? The lecturer still won’t be able to have the class back, she added.

here’s less movement on matters of pay. The union wants bigger raises than what the UC is offering, which is about 4% in the first year of the five-year contract and 3% annually thereafter. Other lecturers would get additional bumps and extra merit pay. The lecturers say the UC can offer more across the board, citing the 5% increase in state support the recent state budget sent the UC’s way.

The UC argues it offers some of the best pay to lecturers among top research universities. “In October 2019, UC systemwide’s average salary on an annualized basis was $71,068 for pre-six lecturers and $92,693 for continuing lecturers,” wrote Ryan King, a UC spokesperson.

The UC offer on pay

But that number is misleading: More than half of lecturers are part-time, according to a CalMatters review of UC data the lecturer union shared, meaning most lecturers don’t get that annualized pay. And many lecturers work one term but not the next. A CalMatters analysis of wage data shows that lecturers on average make close to $33,000, while more permanent academic faculty make three to six times as much.

Another major issue is how much a lecturer is paid per class. Basically, lecturers get paid a percentage of an annual salary based on the “workload” of each class. The union is upset that the same classes can be counted as, for example, one-seventh of full-time work or one-ninth depending on the campus. They want consistency throughout the system.

For lecturers, those fractions matter: For one, the higher the percentage of full-time work, the greater the pay. Also, health benefits can kick in at around 44% or 50% of full-time work, depending on how many hours a lecturer works in the year. So every extra fraction of workload goes a long way to determining if a lecturer has health insurance through the UC.

“The University of California should be a responsible employer and provide accessible, affordable, quality health benefits and a living wage for all of its employees so that no UC employee must rely on public assistance,” wrote Sen. Pan. His letter noted that some UC lecturers rely on Medi-Cal because they’re ineligible for UC health insurance.

Will lecturers strike?

McIver, the union president, doesn’t know. She said they’d rather have a settled contract. “The things that we need to cross the finish line of this contract are not onerous for our employer,” MicIver said. As far as the union is concerned, the ball is in UC’s court.

Friday’s bargaining meeting with the UC “is a positive step,” McIver said. But the union’s lecturers will decide whether they like the offer the UC is presenting, so it’s impossible to gauge how close to a resolution both sides are.

“We need our lecturers,” Silas said. “We appreciate and value our lecturers.”

No strike about the contract terms can happen until a state-led labor mediation process runs its course. Both sides are in mediation, but Friday’s meeting is independent of that state-led process.

County Selects Aranda as Artist of the Year

Johanna Miller

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October 21, 2021

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County Selects Aranda as Artist of the Year

The County of Santa Cruz has named multi-media artist Guillermo “Yermo” Aranda as the 2021 Artist of the Year.

Every year the Arts Commission presents the award to a local artist for their achievements in performing, visual or literary arts, as well as their contributions to overall cultural enrichment in the county.

Aranda, originally from San Diego, comes from a family of artists, craftsmen and musicians. He studied at San Diego City College and San Diego State, and co-founded a number of organizations and projects, including the murals of Chicano Park in 1973—now a National Historic Landmark.

After moving to Watsonville in 1983, Aranda attended Cabrillo College and Cal State Monterey Bay. Since then, he has made a name for himself through his various community projects in Santa Cruz County, especially in Watsonville. He co-founded the Whitehawk Dancers, a cultural organization offering visual and performing arts to youth that is influential in the area to this day.

Aranda currently teaches art locally and throughout the state, working with students as well as inmates at a state penitentiary. He has displayed over 80 murals throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, all of which were the result of youth art projects.

“We often call him ‘Maestro,’ the teacher,” said Raymon Cancino, CEO of Community Bridges. “He’s really served as a mentor for other muralists throughout the community. That speaks highly to his values—not to be selfish, but instead be inclusive and share his passion with others.”

Cancino has worked on various projects with Aranda, including the restoration of one of his murals at Community Bridges’ headquarters at 519 Main St. He says that Aranda’s work has resonated with him over the years.

“He was one of the few artists putting people like me, people of color, in murals,” Cancino said. “I started seeing myself in art because of artists like him. Being immigrants, you often feel left out. But once you see symbols, images that are part of your heritage and culture … that perception shifts.”

For Aranda, giving back to his community, especially to young artists, is a major accomplishment.

“I’ve had a lot of young artists say, ‘Thank you for the inspiration you’ve given me; everywhere I go I see your work,’” Aranda said. “That’s very rewarding. I like to think I’ve contributed to some artistic visibility around town.”

Watsonville City Councilmember Rebecca Garcia was a teacher at Watsonville High School in 1989 when she worked with Aranda to bring a mural to campus. The project hit a series of roadblocks, the first being the Loma Prieta Earthquake, which struck only months after Aranda agreed to the project.

Then it came down to funding, which was eventually secured with help from the City of Watsonville. In 1990 things started up again, only to be halted by school staff and others claiming that the mural was “too Hispanic” and falsely claiming it contained gang imagery.

“I had to be the one to tell [Aranda] to stop,” Garcia said. “It was awful.”

Eventually, Aranda and his students completed the 40-foot long mural, entitled “Sueños” (Dreams) in October 1991. But last year, the mural was erroneously painted over during a refurbishment of the school’s cafeteria. This led to a repaint, once again under Aranda’s supervision, with help from a handful of his original painters and current Watsonville High students.

A short film by local company Calavera Media entitled “Painter of Dreams” chronicled the repainting of the mural. It screened earlier this year with the Watsonville Film Festival and is scheduled for the Big Sur Film Festival in 2022.

Aranda will be awarded at a live-streamed performance on Oct. 23 at 3pm, where he will speak about his work. The Whitehawk Dancers will also perform.

Aranda said he is honored to be chosen by the County and the greater arts community for his work, and is excited at the new creative energy that is growing in the Pajaro Valley.

“It’s an exciting time,” Aranda said. “It’s an important time for all of us … I hope to see even more focus on the arts in South County. I really look forward to it.”

Click here for information about the event and the Zoom link.

Local Agencies’ Conservation Efforts Hope to Help Coho Salmon Populations Rebound

Drew Penner

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October 21, 2021

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Local Agencies’ Conservation Efforts Hope to Help Coho Salmon Populations Rebound

They’re an average of eight pounds, with distinct pink scales, and in this area, they’re officially endangered. Local coho salmon have declined more than 95% from their historic population level, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

The main culprit is the degradation of spawning grounds, such as low river levels due to water being diverted for human use, or dams that block the way upstream. But two recent initiatives—focused on waterways along the North Coast of Santa Cruz County—have sought to help turn the tide.

In one, the Sempervirens Fund, the state’s oldest land trust, spearheaded the removal of an old dam along Mill Creek in the wake of the CZU Lightning Complex fires. In the other, the Santa Cruz Water Department rejigged its water-taking portfolio to allow more liquid to move through Laguna Creek.

The Mill Creek Dam removal story is about breathing life into a beloved watershed, environmentalists say.

“Watershed health is vital to redwood forests,” said Matt Shaffer, Sempervirens Fund’s marketing director. “Watersheds are really land.”

Four conservation organizations own the 8,852-acre San Vicente Redwoods: the Peninsula Open Space Trust, Save the Redwoods League, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and the Sempervirens Fund, which notes the entire area was consumed by flames, last year.

Davenport’s water lines were also destroyed, including the portion that ran across the top of an old dam on Mill Creek.

The San Vicente watershed is renowned for its karst formations, where dissolving bedrock has left sinkholes and caves, which causes water to rise up from underground. Where Mill Creek empties into the Pacific Ocean at Davenport Beach (via San Vicente Creek), there’s no sandbar or estuary, which means easy access for salmon and steelhead trout, Shaffer explained.

“The conditions are exceptionally good for this watershed to be a good place for spawning,” he said. “It’s very cold water, which is great for salmon. It’s heavy flowing even in the summer.”

However, there’s been a dam in the way.

It’s unclear when Mill Creek Dam was built or what it was supposed to be used for, but it was likely built to serve a rock-mining town called Bella Vista at the turn of the century.

The earliest reference to it was as the “old dam,” in documents about another, further upstream, Shaffer said.

“The dam never worked as intended,” he said. “It was immediately defunct.”

But for more than a century, it blocked fish from passing.

“It could have failed at any time and fallen apart, which would have been a different kind of problem,” he said.

Over the last decade, the Sempervirens Fund installed 13 different wood structures in the creek downstream, to provide salmon with a place to deposit their eggs.

“They capture downflowing debris and create these sandbars,” he said. “It also helps to create a safe haven.”

The Santa Cruz Portland Cement Company started in Davenport in 1906 and later became part of CEMEX, Inc. When CEMEX sold the land on which the dam sits, it kept the water rights—which includes the pipes. So, after the CZU Complex destroyed Davenport’s water infrastructure, Sempervirens saw an opportunity to take ecological action. It asked the company to change the water pipeline’s path.

“The pipe has already been rerouted,” Shaffer said. “That happened very quickly in December, last year.”

In March, Sempervirens Fund got a $550,000 Open Rivers Fund grant from the Resources Legacy Fund, supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which was established by Hewlett-Packard co-founder William Redington Hewlett and his wife Flora Lamson Hewlett.

“That set us on a course to get all the work together and get the dam removed,” Shaffer said, noting they had to race against the clock before winter storm season started.

Prior to the dam removal, the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, an initiative of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, an Indigenous organization representing the descendants of native people brought to Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista missions, invited UCLA researchers to study salmon DNA in the creek.

“The salmon were an important food source for Indigenous people in this area prior to colonization,” said Sara French, the organization’s director of development. “Indigenous people had ceremonies to honor the salmon and had annual ceremonies to call the salmon back each year.”

Shaffer says he’s learned plenty from the way the Amah Mutsun Land Trust approaches conservation. French explained they’re blending contemporary resource management practices with Indigenous ecological knowledge. That means returning to traditional practices like selective harvesting and targeting medium-sized fish instead of just harvesting the big ones.

“The UCLA study is using a cutting-edge tool to track the presence or absence of salmon, and their response to the restoration work that’s happening there,” she said.

Work began with professional ecologists moving about 400 plants, like ferns and berry bushes, elsewhere, according to Shaffer. Next, teams went “e-fishing”—meaning they used an electric wand to stun fish so they could be relocated downstream, he said. And on Sept. 21, small and large excavators moved in to do the heavy lifting.

Crews tried to pump water out of the creek so they could get at the dam but were challenged by the karst system continually replenishing the waterway. Eventually, they made enough progress to attack the old pipe and other material forming the barrier.

“They were actually able to begin to break apart the dam wall,” Shaffer said. “We had to move quickly and get going.”

It took about 90 minutes from the first shovel hitting the top of the dam to eliminate it from the ecosystem.

“It looks like nothing, which is exactly what it’s supposed to look like,” he said. “There’s no way to tell that there was ever a dam there.”

Removing the dam and unlocking the upstream sediment was the missing puzzle piece to create perfect conditions for coho spawning, according to Shaffer.

“It’s exceptionally rewarding to be part of this moment in history,” he said. “It’s a historic moment for a very important watershed in the region.”

French says it’s exciting to see progress like this made.

“We are all about restoring pre-colonization conditions,” she said. “These sorts of steps are really important to restoring the natural way of things in the ecosystem.”

Now it’s up to the salmon.

But just a few waterways south, at Laguna Creek, utility officials announced some early success in the wake of another habitat-restoration initiative.

While coho babies hadn’t been spotted in the Laguna Creek lagoon since 2005, that changed in 2020. Now, biologists have recorded 2-year-old coho there, this year.

Chris Berry, watershed compliance manager with the Santa Cruz Water Department, said it was nice to see the City’s voluntary mitigation efforts working.

“Laguna Creek used to be one of the city’s primary drinking water sources,” he said. “The Water Department’s operations have changed a lot.”

It decided to rely less on water from Laguna Creek and draw more from places like the Loch Lomond reservoir, in order to pump the millions of gallons of water it delivers to 98,000 customers, every day.

It used to divert about 6.5 cubic feet per second from Laguna Creek during winter.

“Now we generally take none unless it is a wet year where there is enough water to meet fish needs,” Berry said, adding the lagoon at the outflow lets salmon bulk up before heading out to sea. “It’s a rough world out there in the ocean.”

Juvenile coho documented in recent surveys were 16 to 19 centimeters long, with coloring indicating they were in the early stage of smolting; this suggested they were about to leave the lagoon and become part of the marine environment, utility officials said in a release.

French explained that, because she lives in Santa Cruz, drawing a bath for her daughter has provided teachable moments on the topic of salmon ecology.

Sometimes her daughter, who is now 4, would ask mom to add extra water.

“I say, ‘Nope. We can’t fill it up more. We have to leave it for the salmon,’” she said, adding the message about conserving North Coast streams seems to be sinking in. “She talks about the salmon all the time.”

Do Americans Really Need Boosters? CDC Panel Is Wrestling With the Data

The New York Times and GT Staff

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October 21, 2021

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Do Americans Really Need Boosters? CDC Panel Is Wrestling With the Data

By Apoorva Mandavilli, The New York Times

Struggling to decide which Americans need extra doses of the coronavirus vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, scientific advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday homed in on the efficacy of the vaccines, and the relative advantages of mixing and matching different vaccine types.

In a meeting convened to review the data, the panel heard that in adults younger than 65, even those with chronic conditions, the Moderna vaccine remained highly protective against severe illness and showed only a small decline in effectiveness over time, if at all.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed less efficacy than the Moderna vaccine overall, but the data were too limited to determine whether there might be a decline over time.

The Moderna vaccine was slightly less protective against infection in all age groups more than four months after immunization. But that may be because people may engage in riskier activities after they are vaccinated, rather than because the immunity from the vaccines is waning, experts said.

The purpose of the vaccines is to prevent illness severe enough to require medical attention and not to prevent infection, said Dr. Wilbur Chen, an infectious disease physician at the University of Maryland.

“It might be too much to ask for a vaccine, either a primary series or the booster, to prevent all forms of infections,” he said.

In the first major presentation in the meeting, representatives from Moderna presented evidence in support of a booster of 50 micrograms, half the dose given in the initial rounds.

The smaller dose is enough to rouse the immune system because “the memory immune system is starting from a different place than it was the primary series,” said Dr. Jacqueline Miller, a senior vice president at Moderna who presented the data.

The smaller dose may need to be delivered from the same vials now used for initial immunization, Miller conceded. Some panelists noted that this may increase the risk of contamination and incorrect dosing, and complicate data gathering. (Moderna has been testing vials that deliver smaller volumes to alleviate this problem, according to a former government official.)

The panel also heard data in support of a second Johnson & Johnson dose. Scientists from the company said they had estimated the rate of blood clots following vaccination — a particular concern in young women — at 15.1 cases per million following the first dose and 1.9 cases per million after the second.

“The government’s interpretation is that there’s no indication of an increased risk of these events after the second dose in any age group,” said Dr. Macaya Douoguih, head of clinical development and medical affairs at Janssen, who presented the data.

The panelists peppered the company’s scientists with questions about the validity of the data presented for Americans exposed to the delta variant, and for people who have weak immune systems.

Later, committee members are set to discuss the so-called mix-and-match strategy — whether people fully immunized with one company’s vaccine should be allowed to switch to a different one for their booster.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health are testing combinations of boosters of the three vaccines. Preliminary data suggest that switching between two vaccine types produces a richer immune response than boosters of the same vaccine received initially.

Moderna boosters, after one of the other two vaccines, produces the strongest immunity, and boosting with Johnson & Johnson the least.

The panelists had discussed this strategy even at their meeting last month, and were full of praise for the study. The results are expected to influence their discussion on the mix-and-match approach Thursday.

CDC scientists said at the meeting that the vaccines are generally safe, with the exception of uncommon and mostly mild heart problems in young men. The risk of the condition — called myocarditis, an inflammation of the muscle — is highest after the second shot of an mRNA vaccine, and highest in males 18-24.

In males younger than 20, the condition may affect more than 100 males in every 1 million vaccinated. Studies have shown that the risk of heart problems after a bout of COVID-19 is much higher.

Some panelists said they worried about the risk of blood clots in young women who get a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and the risk of myocarditis in young men after a third dose of an mRNA vaccine. Perhaps young women should be directed to mRNA vaccines and young men to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, said Dr. Helen Talbot, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We’re in a different place in the pandemic than we were earlier,” she said. The opportunities to mix and match vaccines “are priceless.”

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized boosters for millions of people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, just as it did for recipients of Pfizer-BioNTech shots last month. The FDA also gave the go-ahead for people eligible for boosters to get an extra dose of a different brand from the one they first received.

Despite the scientific intricacies of the discussion, the final recommendations from the panel are unlikely to bring surprises. The committee is expected to endorse additional doses of the vaccines for many Americans and to bring the country closer to fulfilling President Joe Biden’s promise to provide boosters to all adults.

It will not happen without some misgivings, however.

Some of the CDC’s advisers last month voiced strong reservations about a Pfizer-BioNTech booster, saying the science did not support additional shots for anyone other than older adults. A majority voted to recommend boosters for people with certain medical conditions that increase the risk of COVID-19.

The committee did not support boosters for people whose jobs expose them to the virus — but in a highly unusual move, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, overturned their decision.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

County Moves to Oppose All Sexual Predator Placements

Drew Penner

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October 21, 2021

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County Moves to Oppose All Sexual Predator Placements

After a significant portion of the Bonny Doon community mobilized to try to keep a man who raped a 21-year-old woman in the 1980s from moving to town, Santa Cruz County is now seeking changes to California law, so it can have additional tools to protect locals.

While “sexually violent predator” Michael Cheek’s placement hearing (originally scheduled for Oct. 14) was delayed by a month, Third District Supervisor Ryan Coonerty introduced a Board of Supervisors measure Tuesday to pressure the State to give local governments more control over where these offenders can live. It was approved unanimously.

Through the initiative, the Board directed County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios to send a letter to the Department of State Hospitals asking Sacramento to declare Santa Cruz County “off-limits” for Sexually Violent Predator placements until the sex criminal-home hunting program is amended.

It also directed staff to take “all necessary actions to oppose any further placements of Sexually Violent Predators in Santa Cruz County” until California Welfare and Institutions Code 6608 “has been amended to allow a local jurisdiction full participation in the release and placement process, including full veto authority.”

And supervisors directed Chair Bruce McPherson to send a letter to state representatives expressing the County’s concern with that law.

The Santa Cruz County officials say they want their reps to take a leadership role in amending it “to allow a local jurisdiction full participation in the release and placement process, including full veto authority.”

In his item, Coonerty explained that the California Welfare and Institutions Code currently allows Sexually Violent Predators to move into communities “with no process for input or evaluation by local agencies.”

Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell tried opposing Cheek’s proposed Santa Cruz County placement in court, but lost and didn’t appeal further.

The “sexually violent predator” designation is applied to criminals who’ve been convicted of a “sexually violent offense” and have a diagnosed mental disorder that makes them likely to engage in predatory sexual behavior in the future.

Liberty Healthcare has sought to place Cheek at a residence in the Santa Cruz Mountains along Wild Iris Lane. Area residents argue that putting a convicted sex predator in a place like that is a terrible idea, since it can take upwards of half an hour for Sheriff’s Office officials to respond to emergencies, and poor telecommunications coverage means electronic monitoring might not work properly.

“Liberty promotes SVP placements that are terribly inappropriate, like the one to put Michael Cheek in Bonny Doon,” Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District Board President Michael Geluardi said at the meeting. “Amending the SVP law to increase local participation is a solution, and counties must lead the fight.”

San Diego County is already making this case with the State, he added.

“Your action also sets the tone for vigorous opposition should Liberty propose another site for Mr. Cheek somewhere else in our county, as is likely,” he said. “And follow up by encouraging your State representatives to support a legislative solution to an out-of-control corporation who would destroy family neighborhoods in Santa Cruz for profit.”

Cheek’s next hearing has been set for Nov. 15.

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Oct. 20-26

GT Staff

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October 20, 2021

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A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

ANNUAL LIVE OAK GLASS PUMPKIN PATCH The Live Oak Glass Pumpkin Patch at Live Oak Grange Returns with golden leaves and autumn breezes! Beautiful hand-made glass pumpkins and gourds created in the glass blowing studio of local glass artist Chris Johnson. A dazzling array of colors, in all sizes and for every budget. We are delighted to again be in the heirloom fruit garden at historic Live Oak Grange on 17th Ave. Five percent of all proceeds will be donated to the Grange to sustain their awesome work in the community. No purchase required—all are welcome to enjoy the outside garden of beautiful art glass! Come early for the best selection. Each pumpkin is one of a kind. See you at the Patch! Saturday, Oct. 23; Sunday, Oct. 24. 10am. Live Oak Grange Hall, 1900 17th Ave. Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz.

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL VIRTUAL FESTIVAL Bring the adventure home! Fluff up your couch cushions, grab a snack of choice, and make sure you have a good internet connection because the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is Virtual! Travel to the most remote corners of the world, dive into daring expeditions, and celebrate some of the most remarkable outdoor achievements, all from the comfort of your living room. Films can be purchased individually or as a bundle. Banff will also be screening Award Winners: Monthly Film Series; join us online for a mixed program of award winners from the 2020, 2019 and 2018 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festivals. Catch up on missed films or relive some of the best that Banff has to offer. Just announced is the Encore Classic Films from the past 10 years. Audience favorites. Don’t miss out! Screening until Oct. 24, 2021. Visit riotheatre.com for more information about the online programs and how you can support your local screening. You may also go directly to the Banff affiliate link for the Rio filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-163945. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2021 ARTIST OF THE YEAR: YERMO ARANDA PROFILE PERFORMANCE Multi-media artist Yermo Aranda has been named 2021 Artist of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission. Yermo will be honored for his work and contribution to the arts in Santa Cruz County on October 23, 3:00 PM. At a live-streamed Profile Performance, Yermo will be speaking about his work, and the Whitehawk dancers will also perform. Please note: this event will be virtual only, not in-person. Please use the Zoom link below to join the event: us02web.zoom.us/j/87872723001?pwd=eTZkM2xPUGh6T2gzRXJ1QU44aG9UUT09. Passcode: 644488. Saturday, Oct. 23, 3-4:30pm.

SHE ADVENTURES FILM TOUR Born out of a desire to showcase the strong, inspirational, adventurous women of the outdoor world, the She Adventures Film Tour presents a carefully curated selection of short films that will entertain, inspire and enlighten. Showcasing a two-and-a-half hours program of the most heartfelt, inspiring and entertaining films celebrating adventurous women from independent filmmakers around the globe. Featuring a unique selection of films of varying lengths and styles, covering topics relevant to women in the outdoors, the She Adventures Film Tour will connect with both the avid adventurer and the armchair adventurer alike. The 2021 tour will take you around the globe by bike in an attempt for the speed record, longboarding in the French Alps, getting big air and grinding rails. Dive into the world of Sri Lanka’s first competitive female surfer, push the limits with the uniquely French-Canadian sport of ice canoeing and join Lucy Barnard on her walk around the world. Ride the trailers with some rad mountain bikers in Vermont and run the muddiest known time in remote Australia.These amazing stories of courage, grit, determination, and outdoor inspiration are focused on bringing the female adventure experience under the spotlight. With eight inspiring films in the line up, this year’s tour is full of adventure and trailblazing female adventurers. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz.

COMMUNITY

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 $0-$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, Oct. 20, 3:30pm. London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz.

COAST FUTURA STREETCAR DEMO IN SANTA CRUZ Take a ride on the Coast Futura! This free demonstration of a clean-energy, affordable, accessible streetcar on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line is happening in Watsonville and Santa Cruz. For the first time, our community will get to experience a rail vehicle that you can see, touch and ride in. The demonstration event is happening in Santa Cruz from Thursday to Sunday, Oct. 21-24. The route will start at Boardwalk, heading through Live Oak towards Capitola. Tickets are required to ride the streetcar. For your free ticket visit: coastfutura.org. The schedule includes hourly departures for rides that will last about 40 minutes. Each ride will include about 30 passengers. And all rides will be free! All health mandates will be followed, including masks. Thursday, Oct. 21, 9am-7pm. Friday, Oct. 22, 9am-7pm. Saturday, Oct. 23, 9am-7pm. Sunday, Oct. 24, 9am-7pm. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz.

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, Oct. 21, 10am. Tuesday, Oct. 26, 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. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

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, Oct. 21, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

INTRO TO TAROT: MAGIC IN THE CARDS It’s the perfect, spooky season for tapping into the magic of tarot cards! Learn a short history of the tarot, basic meanings of the 78 cards, how to ask them questions, and a special card spread for checking in with our thoughts and feelings and learning to make empowered decisions. The best part? You’ll learn that the magic’s all in you! Join Sarah from Hawthorn Mountain Tarot for this free class for teens. This program will be capped at 10 teens; first come, first serve. Saturday, Oct. 23, 2pm. Felton Branch Library, 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

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, Oct. 25, 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, Oct. 26, 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, Oct. 26, 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 through 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, Oct. 20, 3pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

GROUPS

COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FORUM Complementary Treatment Forum is an educational group, a safe place to learn, for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every fourth Saturday, currently on Zoom. Registration required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Saturday, Oct. 23, 10:30am-12:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

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, Oct. 22, 6pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

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, Oct. 20, 11am. Felton Branch Library (NEW), 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

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, Oct. 21, 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, Oct. 25, 12:30pm.

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, Oct. 26, 12:30-2pm.

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, Oct. 20, 3:30-4:30pm.

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, Oct. 22, Noon-6pm. Tuesday, Oct. 26, Noon-6pm. Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz.

EVERGREEN AT DUSK: CEMETERY HISTORY TOURS Welcome back to our second year of Evergreen at Dusk historical tours. We invite you to discover the stories and secrets found within Evergreen Cemetery, one of the oldest public cemeteries in California, on a self-guided or private tour of the grounds. Bring your curiosity as you explore the final resting place of Santa Cruz’s early settlers. The 45-minute tour uncovers the stories and tombstones of the people who made Santa Cruz what it is today. Designed for the daring, the curious, and the history-loving. This tour is great for all ages! Each tour should take 30-45 minutes to complete. The time you select is when your group/household tour begins, we recommend arriving five-to-ten minutes early to ensure you can begin right on time. Upon arrival, find the MAH table near the iconic Evergreen Arch. We will give you the printed map and guide with a brief introduction to Evergreen. Following the welcome, you are then free to follow the scavenger hunt like map and travel back in time uncovering the stories buried across the grounds. Go at your own pace and begin your adventure. We’ll be there on-site to help you get from tombstone to tombstone if assistance is needed. This tour will be led by a MAH staffer and is available to two households per night. Dig deeper into the stories and history of the cemetery. This tour has to be on your Santa Cruz Bucketlist. Please be sure to wear your mask if you are not vaccinated and maintain a six-foot distance when around other explorers or MAH staffers. Thursday, Oct. 21, 4-7pm. Evergreen Cemetery, 261 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz.

GUIDED COASTAL WALK On this two-and-a-half mile family friendly walk, we’ll explore the plants, animals, and geology of our coastal bluffs. Bring water, hat, closed toe shoes, layered clothing, and binoculars if available. Meet next to the park map in Wilder Ranch main parking lot. Rain cancels. 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. To register, visit: santacruzstateparks.as.me/schedule.php. Saturday, Oct. 23, 11am. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast 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, Oct. 23, 1-2pm. Sunday, Oct. 24, 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, Oct. 26, 6:30-7:30pm. Moran Lake Park & Beach, East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

YOU PICK ROSES We are growing over 300 roses, deeply fragrant, lush and in every color, and we want to share them with you! Get out of the house and enjoy cutting a bucket of roses for your pleasure or to share with family and friends. Visit birdsongorchards.com to make a reservation. Once you have made a purchase, you will be sent a calendar link to pick a time for your reservation and directions to our farm in Watsonville. Friday, Oct. 22, 11am. Sunday, Oct. 24, 11am.

New Doc ‘Foodie for the People’ Showcases Local Culinary Innovator Jozseph Schultz

Geoffrey Dunn

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October 20, 2021

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New Doc ‘Foodie for the People’ Showcases Local Culinary Innovator Jozseph Schultz

Controlled chaos. That’s what it feels like on the streets of Santa Cruz this warm and inviting Friday evening in mid-October. I am sitting on the sidewalk table outside of India Joze restaurant on Front Street with a covey of old-time locals taking in the scene. You can feel the energy building, the Indian-summer light turning into a golden glow before darkness settles (what the Spanish call el anochecer), the chaotic social dissonance around us slowly but surely coalescing into a critical mass.

My friend and fellow writing love bug Wallace Baine is among the crew, as is Jon Silver, another longtime pal and filmmaking partner who has just finished a fascinating and informative feature-length documentary, Foodie for the People, on India Joze and its kinetic and talented impresario Jozseph “Joe” Schultz, a fixture in the local culinary scene for 50 years.

Silver’s film, hot out of the kitchen, will get its World Premiere next Wednesday evening at the Del Mar Theater (show time is 6pm), with a follow-up screening on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at the Del Mar at 6pm.

In homage to Schultz’s extensive volunteer work of feeding those experiencing homelessness, Silver has made it so that both screenings will be free (with proof of vaccination required for admission). Advance tickets to both screenings are available at eventbrite.com (search for “foodieforthepeople”), while a handful of seats will be held back and issued the night of the show. They promise to be sold-out affairs.

Out on the sidewalk, the conversation focuses loosely on the film and food. Two of Schultz’s longtime colleagues—Sasha Childs, the restaurant’s artistic director (and Schultz’s current “life partner”) and Lynne Basehore Cooper, with whom Schultz made a two-year trip around the world in the mid-1980s—are hustling back and forth from the lobby, taking orders, delivering dishes and engaging customers as they go.

Cooper stops momentarily and reminds me of a connection we had with a common friend in the late 1980s, just after she returned to Santa Cruz from her global sojourn with Schultz. We joke about the various social complexities at the time. “We were young,” she says with a smile. She references her work with the Homeless Garden Project and her belief that those without resources and shelter deserve the opportunity to grow their own food.

Food, politics, culture and shared history are central themes at Joze.

Finally, Schultz himself comes out, delivering Silver one of his signature dishes—Basa Djawa, which he learned at the Royal Palace in Indonesia—and I get the opportunity to tell the celebrated chef how great he comes off in the film, and to thank him for his magnificent body of work and his commitment to community over the past five decades. I have been eating at Schultz’s various eateries since high school, when I worked as a delivery boy on Soquel Avenue and his first establishment was a few blocks up the street, where the Crepe Place is today.

Dressed in his trademark dark hat and rough-hewn leather apron, with the tools of his trade at his side, Schultz expresses gratitude for my comments about his performance—or more accurately, his presence—in the film. But he is genuinely humble about the role he has played at the restaurant, and tries to deflect the spotlight somewhere else.

“I really shouldn’t be the focus,” he says. “That’s a little hard. So many people have been part of the process. So many people have played a role. It’s really a collective effort.” He points to Childs and Cooper, and then mentions the inimitable artist and graphic designer extraordinaire Beth Regardz, who Childs calls “the mother goddess co-founder” of the restaurant.

Schultz is not only the subject, but also the soul of Silver’s documentary, which touches upon the history of the fabled restaurant (which once contained 250 seats), from the International Calamari Festival to the Chickpea and Mushroom festivals that shaped and defined Santa Cruz culture during the 1980s and ’90s.

And while Schultz is clearly the star of Foodie for the People, the nomination for best actor in a supporting role in the film goes to Good Times’ own Christina Waters, a veteran food writer and truly a pioneer in chronicling the culinary scene in Santa Cruz (and, really, the West Coast) since the 1980s. Her commanding presence provides a critical meta-commentary to the film and places Schultz’s art and career in a broader context than simply the familiar sidewalks and streets of Santa Cruz.

“What’s special about Jozseph’s food is that you sense the living presence of the man in every single dish,” Waters elucidates. “The flavors are unbelievable—you have no idea what you’re eating and how it got that way.”

Waters, who has written about Schultz for a variety of publications over the years, succinctly sizes up her subject. “He believes in the people,” she declares, “and there are no pretensions about him. He would far rather cook in the dirt over a campfire than sit at a white tablecloth restaurant.”

It’s both a keen and illuminating observation that provides the basic cartography to Schultz’s career and a narrative arc to the film.

When I asked documentarian Silver one morning several weeks ago why he decided to make a film about Schultz and his culinary career in Santa Cruz, the answer spun on for literally two hours over coffee and pastries.

I should at this point, I suppose, issue an official disclaimer: Silver and I have been friends and colleagues and occasionally activists together for the better part of 40 years, and we have had a running conversation going on a variety of subjects—most often film and politics (and the San Francisco Warriors)—for the duration. We have also worked together—at UCSC, on each other’s films, and in various community venues—so that in terms of film production, cinematic construction, and visual aesthetics, we speak the same filmic vernacular. I am also a fan of his work.

Born in the Bronx, raised in Harlem and Queens and coming of age during the era of the Clifford Glover riots in South Jamaica (NY), Silver has forged an impressive documentary film career since he moved out west to complete his education, first in Sonoma County and then at UCSC in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He’s made literally scores of documentaries since —the majority focusing on class conflict, environmental destruction and educational issues—several of which have received national recognition. His feature-length film, Watsonville On Strike, which chronicled the 18-month walkout by mostly Latinx cannery workers in South County during the mid-1980s, won a Silver Hugo award at the Chicago International Film Festival and was also featured at the New York Documentary Film Festival. His celebrated short Dirty Business, which revealed the horrific environmental and workplace impacts of the maquiladora system along the border of Mexico, was named Best Documentary Short at the U.S. Environmental Film Festival.

In a certain sense, Foodie for the People would seem a departure from Silver’s highly charged collected oeuvre. But as he explains his reasoning behind the production, it becomes clear that the film is as rooted in his leftist political worldview as any of his others.

Silver, a longtime resident of Watsonville, moved back to Santa Cruz roughly a half dozen years ago to live with his current partner, Christine Sippl, a director of public health programs in the county, and the two gradually discovered the culinary creativity of Joze, eventually becoming regulars.

“It’s got the best food in town,” Silver opined, “and it’s affordable. Healthy. Plus we loved the feel of the place. It’s colorful. Interesting. There are rotating art shows. At some point, Sasha redid the design and aesthetics of the place. You have hundreds of people passing through to attend the Dance Church at the 418 Project [located behind the restaurant]. The dynamics were very engaging.”

He also loved the fact that the clientele was multi-generational, from “old hippies” and Baby Boomers to Millenials and even members of so-called Generation Z, all of whom, Silver observed, “love the place” and “sort of claim it as their own.” He heard stories about people who have been coming to Joze for years—who had birthday and wedding and graduation celebrations there over the decades. He realized that much of the history of Santa Cruz from 1970 on had been woven into the place. “I mean, it’s an institution,” he noted with emphasis.

Then there was Schultz himself. Silver gradually learned his story—how he started cooking while a student at UCSC, dropped out and traveled the world in search of culinary expressions, in the Mediterranean, Asia, the Middle East, all the while gathering recipes and insights in the people and cultures he engaged.

But what sealed the deal for Silver, still an ardent critic of mainstream American politics, was the way that Schultz and the restaurant were committed to social justice movements throughout the community. “Look, they’re not corporate, they’re not mainstream,” he observed. “And Joe just doesn’t say no to political causes. He gives so much of himself and of the restaurant to so many organizations, including those that address homelessness.”

The idea for a documentary slowly gathered momentum. “Three years ago,” Silver says, “I thought, holy crap, it would all make for an interesting film.” He shared his idea with Sippl, and she agreed with his cinematic instincts. At first he thought about making a five-minute short and putting it on YouTube. But the more he filmed, the more he realized the breadth and depth of the India Joze story. The film expanded to 15 minutes, then to 20. The first rough cut I saw was a half-hour. Covid shut down the operations for several months, but it also gave the production space to breathe and maturate into a feature length work.

Silver also deftly incorporated music from two Santa Cruz musical treasures: Eli Mabanza, from the Congo, who leads the band Mokili Wa; and Santa Cruz native Kaethe Hostetter, who heads up Qwanqwa. Their cumulative soundtrack is absolutely delightful.

One aspect of Silver’s filmmaking that I have always appreciated is his ability as a cinematographer to capture and honor what Marxist theorists call the labor process—human beings at work, using their minds and hands and bodies—from line workers in Watsonville’s canneries to strawberry pickers in the fields of the Pájaro Valley.

In Foodie for the People, Silver captures Schultz’s remarkable artistry in the kitchen with pots and pans and knives all moving like an ornate dance performance while flames flare up around him. It all makes for some compelling documentary cinema.

It also provides a telling contrast to current trends in documenting the “foodie movement” by mainstream media.

Like many in recent years, I’d come to appreciate the various culinary explorations by Anthony Bourdain of cuisines and food culture around the world. Bourdain was both irreverent and witty in his various writings and television series—most notably No Reservations (the Travel Channel) and Parts Unknown (CNN)—up until the time he tragically took his life in 2018.

I enjoyed a large body of his work, but I also felt that some of his profiles felt like hit-and-run filmmaking—at times shallow and staged and the narrative forced—and as I watched a late rough-cut of Foodie for the People I thought about the differences between the two models of culinary documentation.

Silver spent three years on his work; Bourdain and his production team would often spend only a few hours, then leave for their next destination.

In Bourdain’s best-selling book Kitchen Confidential, he made the following observation: “Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman—not an artist. There’s nothing wrong with that: the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen—though not designed by them.” This coming from a man who left the world of restaurants for that of celebrity TV. He was always on the run.

As I sat outside India Joze the other day, Grant Wilson, another longtime local activist, came by and reminded me of his quote in the film about Schultz being an artist, like the Jackson Pollock of our community.

Wilson is right, of course. Schultz is both a craftsman and an artist. He both builds and designs his magnificent cuisine. Sometimes, Bourdain’s cynicism simply got the best of him.

Silver is an artist, too. He has produced a delightfully executed homage to a culinary genius—and an iconic institution—in our community. Foodie for the People is a timely and impactful work of art.

The world premiere of ‘Foodie for the People’ will be presented on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 6pm at the Del Mar Theatre, 1124 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. Free/voluntary donation at the door. Reserve a ticket on eventbrite.com.

Bookshop Santa Cruz Presents Laura Davis’ ‘The Burning Light of Two Stars’ Virtually

Johanna Miller

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October 20, 2021

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Bookshop Santa Cruz Presents Laura Davis’ ‘The Burning Light of Two Stars’ Virtually

When Laura Davis joined author Ellen Bass to write The Courage to Heal in 1988, she had no idea it would have the impact it did.

The self-help book focused on recovery from child sexual abuse, aiming to help survivors overcome their symptoms. Davis, a creative writing student of Bass at the time, drew upon her own experiences of childhood sexual abuse for the book.

It ended up launching an international movement of incest survivor empowerment, and became a bestseller in North America and Europe. The two authors were thrown into the limelight, and things became even more complicated when the text was deemed controversial, with some readers and critics criticizing the book’s advice and approach to healing.

“It made me famous for the worst thing that ever happened to me,” Davis said. “It catapulted me into a position of being a role model for healing at a time when I was still deep into my own healing process. I was in this big public arena when I was still struggling internally, coming to terms with what had happened.”

Now, Davis is back with a new book: a memoir that she describes as both a sequel and a prequel to The Courage to Heal. It is her seventh book, and her first in 19 years.

The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story follows Davis’ journey of reconciliation with her mother after decades of estrangement.

“It’s the story of our determination to love each other, and the dramatic, surprising collision course we ended up on at the very end of her life,” she said. “I really did think at one point in my life that I would never speak to my mother ever again. And yet I was the one at her deathbed. It was quite a journey.”

Davis says she has been working on the book for the past 10 years. It has not been easy, she says, to once again dive into the past—both for her, and some on her side of the family.

“When I wrote A Courage to Heal, I was disowned by my mother’s side of my family,” she recalls. “It was painful for me, as I’m sure it was for them. I had partially made peace by not bringing up the subjects that had caused the rift. I had healed enough that I didn’t need their validation. We held that stance for two decades. But writing this new book means bringing those things into the public again.”

Davis has lived in Santa Cruz County for 32 years, working as a news reporter, radio talk show host, blogger, columnist, featured speaker and teacher. All the while, she has continued to write and aimed to inspire others’ creativity.

“I’ve been in love with words my whole life,” she says. “I’ve used them as a way to understand myself, a way to find answers, seek the truth. To break silence, confront, grieve—to make important decisions. I love being part of the writers community here.”

Writing a memoir has been a completely new challenge, Davis says. Her first six books were nonfiction information texts. This time, she needed to tell an actual story.

“I had to learn about being a storyteller and what it takes to hold an audience in the palm of your hand,” she says. “I had to level up my craft in a new direction. It’s been terrifying and exciting, at this stage in my career, to have to learn a whole new set of skills.”

Davis said she hopes readers will connect with the story, especially those who are in similar situations.

“Millions of people are in the same position I was in,” she says. “Maybe not to the same extent … but where there’s a rift, an estrangement, a betrayal between someone and a parent. And yet then they’re in the position of deciding whether to step in, to take care of that person at the end of their life. It’s a really complicated, challenging situation.”

On Oct. 26, Davis will host a virtual event with Bookshop Santa Cruz, where she will do readings and hold a Q&A session. Guests can also pre order a copy of the memoir, which comes out Nov. 9. When released, it will be available in paperback, audiobook and ebook.

“I hope readers are gripped by the story, and find it a surprising page-turner,” Davis said. “I hope it makes them rethink their relationships … their own mothers, daughters, family members. Right now in our culture there are so many divisions between family members. We’re all looking for ways to heal this divide.”

To register for the Oct. 26 event, go to bookshopsantacruz.com. For information and to preview the first five chapters of “The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story,” visit lauradavis.net.

Community Rallies Behind KPIG DJ Ralph Anybody After a Fallen Tree Destroys his Home

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October 20, 2021

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Community Rallies Behind KPIG DJ Ralph Anybody After a Fallen Tree Destroys his Home

In January, KPIG personality Ralph Anybody (real name Jeff Juliano) was on air during a particularly heinous storm. He commented how terrible it was that trees were falling in residential areas.

At around 7:30am, his wife Ellen called and told him one of those trees had fallen on their house. The large oak had gone through the porch roof and split the living room walls. She smelled gas, so she grabbed the dogs, and left through the back door.

At that moment, there wasn’t a lot Juliano could do—he still had two hours left on the air.

“I was freaked out because now I want to go, but I couldn’t get anyone to come in and finish my shift,” he says.

He did manage to leave a little early. When he got home, the damage didn’t appear as bad as he expected. The bay windows weren’t even broken. However, once he got inside and gave it a closer inspection, he quickly saw that it was very bad. The tree broke the bedroom closet off the house, leaving behind a gap in the living room walls. And the doors didn’t close, because the entire structure had shifted.

“Walking around the back of the house, you can see that it was like four inches off where it should normally be sitting,” Juliano says. “I said, ‘That’s not good.’”

His insurance company came out and assessed the damages, but the payout has been slow, and other expenses have since accumulated, like rent and tree removal. To help out, local promoter John Sandidge of Snazzy Productions has organized a benefit for Juliano at the Kuumbwa on Oct. 23. As far as Sandidge is concerned, Juliano is a vital part of Santa Cruz County culture.

“He has been a mainstay for more than 25 years on the KPIG radio team. He helps lead one of the most influential commercial radio stations in the country,” Sandidge says. “Many people in this community wake up and spend the first part of their day with Ralph and his good humor and wonderful choices in music and comedy. He is there to help you start your day in a positive direction.”

Juliano is one of the most recognizable personalities associated with KPIG. Throughout the past few decades, he has had nearly every shift one can have at the station. During the past 15 years, he’s been the early morning guy, signing on at 6am. He loves it, even though he is not a morning person.

“It’s like free therapy for me. You get to play all that great music and stuff,” Juliano says. “I was always a night person. I try to fool myself into believing it’s still nighttime because it’s dark out. Like, no, it’s four in the morning.”

The Kuumbwa benefit will feature several local artists like Michael Gaither, Carolyn Sills Combo, Patti Maxine, Anthony Arya, Mira and Anthony Goto, and more. And the show has a specific theme: covers of songs by artists who have passed away.

“You can’t go wrong with John Prine and Billy Joe Shaver and people like that,” Juliano says.

This isn’t the first benefit show Sandidge has put together. He’s helped out many other members of the community, like a show in 2015 to help raise funds for the Pajaro Valley Unified High School Scholarship Fund, and a more recent one to help local resident Fleet Montgomery pay for his mounting medical expenses.

“Snazzy Productions has been doing benefits for community members and community organizations for decades,” Sandidge says. “It’s part of our culture.”

The benefit for Ralph Anybody will be held at 7:30pm on Saturday, Oct 23, at Kuumbwa, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, $25/general. $40/gold circle. 831-479-9421.

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