I enjoyed your feature article about Capitola’s Women on Waves (“Surf’s Uplifting,” GT, 9/29) and felt proud to live in a place where women are taking the initiative, using their voices and creating an event that benefits women all over the world and at the same time fosters ocean conservation. I couldn’t help but think about one reason we could host such a surf competition here is because our beaches are not contaminated with oil like they are in Southern California. We can thank our predecessors for keeping oil rigs out of the beautiful Monterey Bay, but now it’s our turn to take action to prevent more dire consequences from our use of fossil fuels. Economists and scientists agree that we need to charge fossil fuel companies a fee on the oil and gas they take out of the ground to cover the damage those products do to our environment. Using that money to give a dividend back to people will help with the expense of the transition to cleaner sources of power. This carbon fee and dividend approach is finally getting traction in Congress, so this is the time to call and write our representatives, senators and the president to express our support and to encourage them to include this strategy in the reconciliation bill they’re creating right now.
Donna Ramos
Santa Cruz
This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@*******es.sc.
Jacob Pierce’s article “Embarrassing Development” (GT, 9/29) is a crass distortion of the issues, and falsely conflates opposition to indebting the City over $80 million for an unneeded parking garage to somehow not being serious about affordable housing. The City of Santa Cruz has committed insignificant funds to affordable housing to date, but wants to incur a debt of $80 million to build a multi-level parking structure that can only accommodate 100 housing units on top (but hasn’t actually secured a commitment from anyone to build those units). Every two parking spaces (including associated ramp space) is one less residential unit, and yet none of the advocates for building this giant structure have advocated for reducing the number of parking spaces. According to multiple consultants, we have a surplus of parking downtown. Wouldn’t it make more sense to incur some debt to construct more affordable housing, instead of more parking spaces? And why just downtown Santa Cruz? What about the rest of the city? Why don’t we have a city-supported housing trust in Santa Cruz like other cities around the country? Why don’t we make it simpler to divide single-family homes into duplexes or triplexes? Why don’t we convert our widest boulevards into standard width with an extra row of small homes? Why do we keep on committing precious land area to more roads and parking lots? Stopping the “Taj Garage” will not harm affordable housing prospects in Santa Cruz—it will actually allow us to direct funds where we will get more bang for the buck. This article just adds to confusion, and contributes nothing to a better vision for our city.
Len Beyea
Santa Cruz
This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@*******es.sc.
Despite a few touch-and-go moments of, “Is Santa Cruz Restaurant Week even going to happen?” last year, it turned out to be quite a success, and a boost for our dining scene when it needed it most. As a result, SCRW is back bigger and better this week for its 13th year.
For the uninitiated, here’s how it works: from Oct. 20-27, GT brings you a fabulous slate of local restaurants that will offer special three-course menus all week for $25, $35 or $45. The pullout section in the center of this issue is your guide to all the participating restaurants and what they’ll be offering. You can also check out the story inside by Andrew Steingrube, who got all of the chefs, owners and staff talking about the state of the dining scene and what they’re most excited about for Restaurant Week. You can also go to santacruzrestaurantweek.com for more information and giveaways.
Also in this issue is the SCRW-adjacent story by Geoffrey Dunn about the new documentary Foodie for the People. As a huge fan of the film’s subject, Jozseph Schultz, I’m thrilled that his groundbreaking work is getting the attention it deserves. And I love the line Dunn includes from our own food writer Christina Waters, who is interviewed in the documentary, about Schultz: “He would far rather cook in the dirt over a campfire than sit at a white tablecloth restaurant.” It reminds me of when I asked Schultz to cater my wedding several years ago, and he came out to look at the Happy Valley meadow where it was going to be held in a bomber jacket and scarf, looking like some kind of iconic World War I flying ace as he surveyed the property. On the day of the ceremony, he brought his own one-man cooking setup and wowed everyone by whipping out his amazing creations right there in the field—proving Waters’ point. A lot of longtime locals have their own Schultz memories, and I’m certain more will be made when the film shows at the Del Mar on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.
Lastly, just a reminder that the Pivot fashion show comes to the Tannery on Saturday, Oct. 23. See you there!
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Submit to ph****@*******es.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.
GOOD IDEA
BREAKING THE SILENCE
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the city of Santa Cruz is launching a Healing Campaign to reduce the stigma around domestic violence. According to Monarch Services, an organization providing services to abuse survivors, need for its services doubled in the past year. The Healing Campaign will uplift stories of survivors to remind them they aren’t alone, and provide a space to share their story. For more information, email ja***************@***il.com. If you need support, call the crisis hotline at 888-900-4232
GOOD WORK
MURAL IMPERATIVE
Huge congrats to Guillermo “Yermo” Aranda, who was named Artist of the Year for Santa Cruz County. Aranda is a multimedia artist who has worked on projects around the county. He also supports the next generation of artists in the community through mural projects with students. Throughout his career, he has uplifted Chicano artists and Indigenous art forms by co-founding organizations that bring together Latinx artists like Toltecas en Aztlan and El Centro Cultural de La Raza. Learn more at https://www.scparks.com.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The sign of a civilized society is a regular dining schedule.”
It is fundamentally human to take things for granted. Even though we know we ought not to, succumbing to this perspective pitfall is all but unavoidable most of the time. But if there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s not to take even the most basic things in our life for granted. Going to a movie, socializing with friends and sending the kids off to school all seemed like immutably concrete parts of everyday life—until they weren’t.
And so it was with going out to eat. We came to realize that our favorite restaurants need our support, and that no business—no matter how popular or long-standing—is immune from going under. Supporting our favorite local eateries has taken on a kind of civic-duty quality since the pandemic hit. Here in Santa Cruz, many restaurants have expressed extreme gratitude, crediting the local community for taking ownership of their favorite local spots in order to make sure the doors stay open and grills stay hot. GT asked this year’s Restaurant Week participants two questions, one looking back at the pandemic and one looking forward to this year’s offerings. Here’s what they had to say.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC ABOUT THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY?
“We really have excellent regular customers who supported us during the height of the pandemic and shutdowns. One customer came through the restaurant and tipped every employee $100. It really breathed life into the restaurant.”
— Ben Kralj, Chef/General Manager at Back Nine Bar and Grill
“Even after so many years in business and trying to succeed, you never know what can go wrong. We have survived the .com bubble and the 2008 recession, but I never saw this coming.”
— Jean-Pierre Iuliano, Chef/Owner of Café Mare
“The pandemic really taught us just how adaptable we can be. We had an opportunity to turn the beach into an amazing outdoor dining experience and develop a take-out system, which we had never done before. Above all, we were reminded of the amazing strength and support throughout the Santa Cruz community.”
— Alisha Dodds, Manager, Crow’s Nest
“The industry itself is very resilient—especially in Santa Cruz, where more restaurants have survived.”
— Paul Cocking, Owner, Gabriella Café
“Not to take staffing and supply chains for granted. It also taught me patience and learning to accept the things that I can’t control.”
— Liza Wadstein, General Manager, Hula’s Island Grill
“The importance of adaptation, and cultivating a more sustainable relationship not only with our guests, but our local farmers and fishermen as well.”
— Greg Karjala, Chef de Cuisine, Jack O’Neill Restaurant and Lounge
“We definitely appreciate our local regular customers. We were seeing a lot of the same faces during the pandemic, and we really appreciate the support.”
— Roberto Castagno, Manager, Kianti’s
“I believe that not just us, but all restaurants have become more focused on the guest and are being more careful and concerned about cleanliness and contamination.”
— Giovanni Spanu, Chef/Owner, Lago di Como
“Restaurants are a truly collaborative community effort. I am particularly grateful for our staff and our loyal, loving and patient patrons.”
— Patrice Boyle, Owner, La Posta
“It’s definitely been challenging, especially for a new restaurant, but it’s given us the opportunity to cater to the community in a unique way. It forced us to get creative.”
— Anthony Sitch, General Manager, Makai Island Kitchen and Groggery
“It’s very important to have a full staff, as well as catering to individual guest’s needs so that they feel comfortable dining out.”
— Joseph Moens, Executive Chef, Michael’s on Main
“The industry is not a given; you can be here today and gone tomorrow. And that you have to be flexible and resilient.”
— Damani Thomas, Chef/Owner, Oswald
“Just making sure your staff feels safe, that the culture is positive, and to be aware of our current surroundings. And also, being more transparent about what happens behind the scenes.”
— Ron Bonifacio, Director of Operations, Palapas
“The industry is resilient and has very hard-working employees. And it really gave the industry an opportunity to think outside the box, as well.”
— Margaux Keiser, Manager, Paradise Beach Grille
“To be grateful—for our jobs, our community and for the people helping us. Even the delivery drivers, I give them free food. It’s not about the money, it’s about supporting the community.”
— Ayoma Wilen, Chef/Owner, Pearl of the Ocean
“People’s expectations don’t change, despite it being well-known that restaurants are short-staffed. But we’re still putting forth a lot of extra effort trying to meet those expectations, and many of the staff including myself are doing the jobs of multiple people.”
— Ryan Koehler, General Manager, Riva
“The service and hospitality industries play an integral part in our society. What we do genuinely matters and people need to have shared social experiences. We all need to be able to celebrate life and one another and there is a lot to be said for taking care of others and helping to facilitate those moments.”
— Steven Miller, General Manager, Seabright Social
“I always thought that my profession was safe. But this has shown me that even the restaurant industry can be affected by outside factors.”
— Ken Drew, Executive Chef, Severino’s Bar and Grill
“We have a great community here in Santa Cruz that has been supporting us as well as other local restaurants. We consider ourselves very lucky and are grateful for all the support.”
— Dede Eckhardt, Manager, Soif
“It’s difficult working with fewer tables and reduced capacity, so we had to find a different way to serve our customers, such as takeout.”
— Marco Paoletti, Co-Owner, Sugo
“How wonderful and amazing the Santa Cruz community is, which I already knew since we opened in 2012. But now it’s even stronger. And that quality food always wins and how important it is to have a team that is like family.”
— Luca Viara, Owner, Tramonti
“It’s shown me that individual workers who want to make a difference have shown up and delivered exceptional service. Especially with so many restaurants short-staffed, those that are here are doing the jobs of multiple people.”
— Laine Elliott, Food and Beverage Manager, The View at Chaminade
Hula’s. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
WHAT DISH ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT ON THIS YEAR’S RESTAURANT WEEK MENU?
“I’m super excited about our grilled dorado (mahi-mahi) with a mango salsa. After visiting Mexico recently, I was very inspired by this fish and pairing it with tropical flavors.”
— Ben Kralj, Chef and General Manager at Back Nine Bar and Grill
“The pork scaloppini with roasted California chestnuts, shallots and white wine. It’s a perfect fall dish, in tune with the season, and the chestnuts make it unique.”
— Jean-Pierre Iuliano, Chef/Owner of Café Mare
“We are really excited about the menu this year, it sets the perfect tone for those hearty fall flavors. To start, you can’t miss out on the pumpkin carrot soup, it will warm you right up.”
— Alisha Dodds, Manager, Crow’s Nest
“Our fettuccine Bolognese which now features fresh-made Bigoli pasta from Watsonville.”
— Paul Cocking, Owner, Gabriella Café
“Our Bali Hai barbeque pork ribs that are slow cooked, fall right off the bone, and have a good tangy mango barbeque sauce. They are served with our island-style slaw with pickled ginger and jasmine coconut rice.”
— Liza Wadstein, General Manager, Hula’s Island Grill
“Our pumpkin soup that combines local heirloom pumpkins with local organic produce. It’s perfect for fall and showcases the local terroir of Santa Cruz.”
— Greg Karjala, Chef de Cuisine, Jack O’Neill Restaurant and Lounge
“Our gourmet pasta, which is a long-time favorite. It’s a very rich creamy pesto pasta dish with bacon, sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes.”
— Roberto Castagno, Manager, Kianti’s
“The nectarine panna cotta, made with organic nectarines, cream, milk, and sugar. It’s a traditional Italian dessert, and a specialty of our new pastry chef Crescenzo Pellicia.”
— Giovanni Spanu, Chef/Owner, Lago di Como
“The wild mushroom arancini are going to be amazing. It’s a great time of year for wild mushrooms, and they are served with a slightly spicy tomato aioli. It’s super seasonal, bright, and flavorful.”
— Patrice Boyle, Owner, La Posta
“Our poke bowl is definitely my favorite entrée on the menu. It has fresh ahi tuna, along with some unique flavors such as lychee and our Sriracha cream sauce.”
— Anthony Sitch, General Manager, Makai Island Kitchen and Groggery
“I like our Kalbi-style short ribs, which are unique and different. The heat and sweetness of the dish balance each other really well, and the meat is fork-tender.”
— Joseph Moens, Executive Chef, Michael’s on Main
“Our appetizer, the savory oyster bread pudding. It’s been a while since I’ve rolled this one out. It used to be a crowd favorite at our old location.”
— Damani Thomas, Chef/Owner, Oswald
“Our skirt steak entrée, which is a specialty for us and one of our most popular items. It’s Harris Ranch beef, and comes with rice and beans that are housemade by our chef every morning.”
— Ron Bonifacio, Director of Operations, Palapas
“Our fresh grilled salmon that has a lemon saffron beurre blanc and is plated with homemade garlic mashed potatoes and wilted spinach.”
— Margaux Keiser, Manager, Paradise Beach Grille
“Our wild-caught salmon curry from my mother’s recipe. It’s very unique, the flavors and the sauce, and people probably haven’t tried anything like it before.”
— Ayoma Wilen, Chef/Owner, Pearl of the Ocean
“The local-caught halibut with a housemade orange-rosemary cream sauce, rice pilaf, vegetable medley, and topped with our famous fried zucchini stick.”
— Ryan Koehler, General Manager, Riva
“Our spin on grilled street corn is something that everyone loves. It’s a modern take on the classic Mexican dish, sautéed in butter and fresh lime juice, and topped with housemade garlic aioli, shredded parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper.”
— Steven Miller, General Manager, Seabright Social
“A dessert that I made as a taster to help me get this job. It’s a pumpkin crème brûlée served in a real mini pumpkin. People love the presentation, it’s perfect for fall.”
— Ken Drew, Executive Chef, Severino’s Bar and Grill
“The short ribs, a hearty and comforting dish that helps welcome in the change of seasons. The meat is very tender and flavorful.”
— Dede Eckhardt, Manager, Soif
“The egg fettuccine that comes with porcini mushrooms and sausage in a creamy marsala rosemary sauce.”
— Marco Paoletti, Co-Owner, Sugo
“The new dessert we’re offering: a meringata made with Italian meringue, whipped cream, and berries and pastry cream on the inside. It was my favorite dessert as a kid in Torino and I used to run to the pastry shop to buy them.”
— Luca Viara, Owner, Tramonti
“The fresh, local, and wild King Salmon that comes with roasted fingerling potatoes, Kalamata olives, pancetta, chervil, and is finished with a sherry gastrique. It’s a brand-new dish that the chef is looking forward to having the public try.”
— Laine Elliott, Food and Beverage Manager, The View at Chaminade
As 19 murals went up around Santa Cruz last month, Bridget Lyons made a point to visit each of them. She took photos of blank walls before the artists began working and helped bring food to the teams across town. A member of the City Arts Commission, Lyons was watching a project unfold that she helped approve months earlier.
“It was an easy decision for a number of reasons,” she says. The project, called Sea Walls Santa Cruz, was organized by PangeaSeed, an international foundation working on public art installations in coastal cities around the world.
“In their proposal, they showed evidence for having been able to pull off events of this size before,” says Lyons. “And they also showed an obvious commitment to marine health issues and ocean advocacy issues. And that for them, it was absolutely an art event and an art festival, but it was also something called Artivism, or activism through art.”
While certainly the biggest, the Sea Walls project is not the only recent Artivism project in Santa Cruz. Environmental organizations of all sizes are getting creative.
A drop in the ocean
For the Sea Walls project, “the proposal included ideas like having artists go on field trips to learn about specific ocean issues in the Santa Cruz area, incorporating local communities, and incorporating local schoolchildren,” says Lyons.
The foundation brought in artists from around the country and partnered with the local artist collective Made Fresh Crew. Taylor Reinhold, the Made Fresh Crew founder, worked with PangeaSeed for about two-and-a-half years to bring the concept to life.
“It’s the largest beautification project in Santa Cruz history,” he says, adding that because of external funding, “the city basically spent what one mural would normally cost to get 20 murals.”
The organizers also tried to minimize their impact by using eco-friendly paint. All the artists who worked with bucket paint—instead of something like spray paint—used recycled latex paint called Smog Armor. The Florida-based company claims that a mineral formulation in the paint also captures carbon.
“We’re excited to be able to not only create murals that serve as environmental education tools but ones that also act as carbon sinks,” says Akira Biondo, the director of operations for PangeaSeed. It isn’t clear exactly how effective those “sinks” will be, but the murals now serve as bright homages to ocean conservation.
Circling the drain
In another recent project, local artists partnered with communities and the Coastal Watershed Council to paint storm drain murals along the San Lorenzo River. Each one raises awareness about the importance of watershed health.
Starting in 2017, the Coastal Watershed Council began holding community meetings in the beach flats and neighborhoods along the river. The group wanted to know what people liked about their area and what they wanted to improve.
The most common feedback was the desire for more community gatherings, less trash and more public art. The council decided to tackle the requests with storm drain murals.
“They would bring people together to design and install them. They would increase public awareness about stormwater pollution and how litter and trash move from our communities into our waterways. And they would bring that public art component,” says Laurie Egan, the programs director for the Coastal Watershed Council.
After the first murals went up in Beach Flats Park and Felker and Pryce streets, residents requested another in Poet’s Park.
So local artist and community organizer Irene Juarez O’Connell began working with the neighborhood to design a new piece.
“A few months before the install, we put a bunch of paper on the floor around the storm drain and put out markers and invited the community to draw directly on the ground,” she says.
When it came time to paint, Juarez O’Connell again invited the public to participate.
“It’s very sweet, because some of the kids are able to say, ‘Look, I painted that turtle,’ or ‘That’s my butterfly.’ And they’re excited about it, and they have ownership over it,” she says.
Creative flow
The Poet’s Park mural highlights native species that live along the San Lorenzo River. Gumweed, California rose, coho salmon and other important species dot the piece. In the center, Juarez O’Connell painted the original Awaswas name for the Santa Cruz coastal area: Aulintak. It means “place of the red abalone,” she explains.
“The reason I chose to include the Indigenous name for Santa Cruz is to honor the importance of Indigenous stewardship in protecting and preserving not only our waterways, but our entire ecosystem and landscape,” she says. “That is a big part of the solution to the climate catastrophe.”
Juarez O’Connell considers herself an “Artivist.” She feels motivated by the power art has to shift culture. And she expects those shifts in culture to then shape policy.
“I believe that art is one of the many ways that we can communicate our vision for what’s possible,” she says. “It’s also a way for us to reckon with what’s present.”
Her newest storm drain mural does both for people of all ages.
“We’ve been able to continue that education and awareness with the kids who helped design it and their classmates by doing field trips from Bay View Elementary to actually go to the storm drains themselves, see the murals and follow what the path of a raindrop would be,” says Egan of the Coastal Watershed Council.
The Coastal Watershed Council carefully considered sealants and environmental concerns for the murals before beginning the projects. In light of the first few successes, the group now plans to create a formal program through the City. It would allow any neighborhood to install its own storm drain mural.
Trash to treasure
Artivism doesn’t just take the shape of murals. Local nonprofit Save Our Shores is currently calling for entries in two ocean-related art contests.
The organization has hosted an annual Marine Protected Area (MPA) photo and video contest—called the Waves and Wildlife exhibition—since 2016. It challenges people to appreciate and capture interesting moments in the many local MPAs.
Participants must submit entries by the end of the day on Oct. 23 to be eligible for prizes. The group will host a virtual awards ceremony on Nov. 5.
Save Our Shores also created a new plastic pollution art contest. The contest sprang out of a larger sustainability campaign.
“We had decided to launch this petition to try to get all of the municipalities in both Santa Cruz and Monterey counties to move away from all single-use plastic beverage bottles,” says Gail McNulty, a communications manager for Save Our Shores.
The pandemic delayed those plans, but it didn’t scrap them entirely. Save Our Shores hopes to use some of the entries from the contest to promote the petition.
The nonprofit welcomes entries from all ages. The art should include recycled plastic beverage bottles and highlight the effects of single-use plastics on the ocean. Submissions will close on Nov. 3.
“Art has a tremendous potential to make change,” says McNulty. “The visual can have an impact that resonates with people more directly and in a more memorable way than data.”
The groups hope that inviting the community to participate directly in Artivism will grow that personal connection to environmental stewardship even more.
For information about the Plastic Pollution Contest and the Waves and Wildlife Exhibition, visit saveourshores.org. For information about the Sea Walls Santa Cruz initiative, visit seawalls.org/activation/santa-cruz-usa/. For information about the storm drain murals, visit bit.ly/2YTHaTn.
This year, according to National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) data, there have been 16 confirmed whale entanglements along the West Coast through Sept. 30.
That includes 10 humpback whales, four gray whales, one fin whale and a minke whale; 11 other reports could not be verified.
The vast majority of these reports came from waters along California. Five confirmed incidents were determined to be connected to commercial fishery operations, including three connected to Dungeness crabbing.
While 2021 is on track to show a massive drop from 2016’s high of 56 whale entanglements, it’s come at a cost.
Whales seem to be hanging around Monterey Bay longer due to warmer ocean temperatures, says Geoff Shester, California campaign director and senior scientist with Monterey-based Oceana Conservation Group.
Last year, the crab season was supposed to start Nov. 15, but was delayed until Dec. 23, as regulators sought to avoid more whale bloodshed.
Fisheries have been closed since the end of July, and are currently set to reopen on Nov. 6. But Shester says Dungeness crab season could easily be delayed again this year, depending on whale activity along the coast.
There are economic impacts associated with whale entanglements, too.
Replacing lost equipment is expensive, as is removing gear from an animal that has become wrapped up in fishing equipment. An average of 10% of gear goes missing, Shester says.
The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group—known informally as the Whale Working Group—was created in September 2015 and is made up of industry players, government officials and environmentalists looking for solutions.
After their three-day meeting at the beginning of October, members interviewed by Good Times expressed excitement about technological advances offering hope for both fishermen and marine life advocates.
The Monterey Bay representative on the working group, Dave Toriumi, who’s been crabbing for more than a decade, says he hopes innovative trap systems will prevent season delays while protecting whales at the same time.
“We look at the whales like a good sign—like an omen,” he says. “We don’t want to entangle the whales.”
Shester, who is also part of the working group, says he’s excited about a series of trap systems coming out that would allow fishermen to catch Dungeness crabs without having ropes dangling in the water any longer than necessary.
But there are a series of steps the industry has to go through if the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is to give the new gear the stamp of approval.
“You have to show the Department this stuff’s not going to get lost and make a mess everywhere,” he says, the day before one such trial. “They’re already showing results.”
When crab fishermen drop traps to the seafloor, they leave a buoy—attached by a rope—on the surface. This allows fishermen to find the traps later, and it’s also how fishery agents can check to ensure fishermen aren’t using illegal methods.
Until now, failing to deploy a buoy would have been considered illegal.
However, one proposed system allows fishermen to sink their traps with the buoy still connected. Then, after a set amount of time, the buoy is released—hopefully sending it to the surface without incident.
Getting regulatory approval involves not just cool gear add-ons, but also incorporating these modifications into a digital application that allows regulators to locate traps underwater without a visual cue, equipment manufacturers say.
Karen E. Edson, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries, says introducing high-tech gear into the fishing world would require significant economic, technical and cultural changes for fisheries.
“How fishermen and their gear interact with each other … and gear from other fisheries would have to adapt,” she says. “If there were a high demand from the fishery to see these innovations move forward, I think approvals and the subsequent problem-solving needed to overcome these big challenges would move more quickly.”
There are at least four pop-up gear systems under development, and at least one proposed “breakaway rope” design meant to let a whale escape if caught, Shester says.
Out of 50 tests of San Diego-based Sub Sea Sonics’ Acoustic Release system, ropes only got tangled twice after the buoy was released to the surface, he says, adding that’s approaching the margin of error demanded by regulators.
Silicon Valley-based Blue Ocean Gear sells an already-legal circular GPS buoy that can be attached to crab traps and fishing nets. Ariana Low, who studied engineering at Santa Clara University, is the company’s project manager.
She was inspired to take the position after encountering lost fishing equipment while working with a recreational freediving team on the North Shore of Oahu.
“It just really opened my eyes,” she says of the errant sinks and hooks that turned up as she assisted spearfishermen attempting to source their dinner.
Blue Ocean Gear CEO Kortney Opshaug says their Internet of Things device was created with plenty of input from the fishing industry.
“It’s important to recognize how hard the fishermen have been working to find solutions,” she says. “Anything we can do to help keep fisheries going in the face of some of these environmental realities, we should put energy towards that.”
Russ Mullins, the owner of Ferndale, Washington-based Longsoaker Fishing Systems, has been developing an underwater buoy deployment system.
The netting can attach to traps fishermen already own, he explains.
“Everyone cares about where their seafood is coming from,” Mullins says. “Our goal here is to come up with vertical solutions.”
According to Oceana’s Shester, if all goes well with the tests—and, crucially, if regulators like what they see—some of the new equipment could be authorized as soon as April 1.
Fish and Wildlife Senior Environmental Scientist Ryan Bartling says the whale working group meeting was well attended and covered a lot of ground; he declined to comment on the pop-up systems, citing the fact that they’re currently being evaluated through the department’s Risk Assessment Mitigation Program.
The group will help the department implement a mitigation program throughout the year, he notes, but he wouldn’t comment on potential crab season delays due to whale activity.
“We will be conducting aerial surveys this week and reviewing all other available data,” he says.
Department officials plan to report their whale-traffic findings to the working group early next week, with a final decision about the season-opener expected at the beginning of November.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Even the wisest among us are susceptible to being fascinated by our emotional pain. Even those of us who do a lot of inner work may be captivated and entranced by frustrations and vexations and irritants. Our knotty problems make us interesting, even attractive! They shape our self-image. No wonder we are sometimes “intensely, even passionately, attached to suffering,” in the words of author Fyodor Dostoevsky. That’s the bad news. The good news, Aries, is that in the coming weeks, you will have extra power to divest yourself of sadness and distress and anxiety that you no longer need. I recommend you choose a few outmoded sources of unhappiness and enact a ritual to purge them.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Norway, you don’t call your romantic partner “boyfriend” or “girlfriend.” You say *kjaereste*, which is gender neutral and is translated as “dearest.” In Sweden, you refer to your lover as *älskling*, meaning “my beloved one.” How about Finland? One term the Finns use for the person they love is *kulta*, which means gold. I hope you’ll be inspired by these words to experiment with new nicknames and titles for the allies you care for. It’s a favorable time to reinvent the images you project onto each other. I hope you will refine your assumptions about each other and upgrade your hopes for each other. Be playful and have fun as you enhance your empathy.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The band Creedence Clearwater Revival, led by Gemini musician John Fogerty, achieved tremendous success with their rollicking sound and socially conscious lyrics. They sold 33 million records worldwide. In 1970, they were the best-selling band on the planet, exceeding even the Beatles. And yet, the band endured for just over four years. I foresee the possibility of a comparable phenomenon in your life during the coming months. Something that may not last forever will ultimately generate potent, long-term benefits. What might it be? Meditate on the possibility. Be alert for its coming. Create the conditions necessary for it to thrive.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote, “I am unlike anyone I have ever met. I will even venture to say that I am like no one in the whole world. I may be no better, but at least I am different.” I urge you to make that your own affirmation in the coming weeks. It’s high time to boldly claim how utterly unique you are—to be full of reasonable pride about the fact that you have special qualities that no one in history has ever had. Bonus: The cosmos is also granting you permission to brag more than usual about your humility and sensitivity, as well as about your other fine qualities.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Nigerian poet Ijeoma Umebinyuo writes, “I will always want myself. Always. Darling, I wrote myself a love poem two nights ago. I am a woman who grows flowers between her teeth. I dance myself out of pain. This wanting of myself gets stronger with age. I host myself to myself. I am whole.” I recommend you adopt Umebinyuo’s attitude as you upgrade your relationship with yourself during the coming weeks. It’s time for you to pledge to give yourself everything you wish a lover would offer you. You’re ready to claim more of your birthright as an ingenious, diligent self-nurturer.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): As author David Brooks reminds us, “Exposure to genius has the power to expand your consciousness. If you spend a lot of time with genius, your mind will end up bigger and broader than if you spend your time only with run-of-the-mill stuff.” I hope this strategy will be at the top of your priority list during the next four weeks. You will have abundant opportunities to put a lot of “excellent stuff into your brain,” as Brooks suggests. Uncoincidentally, you are also likely to be a rich source of inspiration and illumination yourself. I suspect people will recognize—even more than they usually do—that being around you will make them smarter. I suggest you help them realize that fact.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Self-help author James Clear describes a scenario I urge you to keep in mind. He speaks of “a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two.” Clear adds that “it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before.” You’ll thrive by cultivating that same patience and determination in the coming weeks, Libra. Proceed with dogged certainty that your sustained small efforts will eventually yield potent results.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Nobel Prize-winning poet Odysseus Elytis was speaking like a consummate Scorpio when he said, “What I love is always being born. What I love is beginning always.” Like most Scorpios, he knew an essential secret about how to ensure he could enjoy that intense rhythm: He had to be skilled in the art of metaphorical death. How else could he be born again and again? Every time he rose up anew into the world like a beginner, it was because he had shed old ideas, past obsessions, and worn-out tricks. I trust you’ve been attending to this transformative work in the past few weeks, Scorpio. Ready to be born again? Ready to begin anew? To achieve maximum renaissance, get rid of a few more things.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I haven’t had enough sleep for years,” author Franz Kafka (1883–1924) once confessed to a friend. It showed in his work, which was brilliant but gaunt and haunted. He wrote stories that would be written by a person who was not only sleep-deprived but dream-deprived. The anxiety he might have purged from his system through sleep instead spilled out into the writing he did in waking life. Anyway, I’m hoping you will make Kafka your anti-role model as you catch up on the sleep you’ve missed out on. The coming weeks will be a fantastic time to fall in love with the odd, unpredictable, regenerative stories that well up from your subconscious depths while you’re in bed at night. They will refresh your imagination in all the right ways.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “The reason life works at all is that not everyone in your tribe is nuts on the same day,” writes author Anne Lamott. I will add that on rare occasions, virtually everyone in your tribe is functioning at high levels of competency and confidence. According to my analysis, now is one of those times. That’s why I encourage you to take extraordinary measures to marshal your tribe’s creative, constructive efforts. I believe that together you can collaborate to generate wonders and marvels that aren’t normally achievable. Group synergy is potentially at a peak—and will be fully activated if you help lead the way.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I believe your plan for the rest of 2021 should borrow from the mini-manifesto that Aquarian author Virginia Woolf formulated at age 51: “I will go on adventuring, changing, opening my mind and my eyes, refusing to be stamped and stereotyped. The thing is to free one’s self: to let it find its dimensions, not be impeded.” Does that sound like fun, Aquarius? It should be—although it may require you to overcome temptations to retreat into excess comfort and inertia.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Anyone who isn’t embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough,” writes author and philosopher Alain de Botton. That’s too extreme a statement for my taste. But I agree with the gist of his comment. If we are not constantly outgrowing who we are, we are not sufficiently alert and alive. Luckily for you, Pisces, you are now in a phase of rapid ripening. At least you should be. The cosmos is conspiring to help you learn how to become a more vibrant and authentic version of yourself. Please cooperate! Seek all available updates.
Storrs Winery’s 2017 Pinot Noir ($36) is inky-dark, bold and guarantees you a howling good time over Halloween.
“Due to its aging in small French oak cooperage and long-term bottle aging, you will find this wine soft and supple with lovely notes of vanilla,” winemakers Pamela and Stephen Storrs say. “And the notes are earthy with vibrant aromas of raspberry, strawberry and cherry.”
This husband-wife duo has produced a Pinot Noir that’s beautiful and, at the same time, ideal wine to crack open when ghouls and goblins are hovering on your doorstep.
Storrs Winery is participating in the Fall Vintners’ Festival (see below), or visit them at their two tasting rooms.
Storrs Winery, 303 Potrero St. No. 35, Santa Cruz, 831-458-5030 and 1560 Pleasant Valley Road, Aptos, 831-724-5030. storrswine.com.
Vintners’ Festival
The Fall Vintners’ Festival—Saturday, Oct. 23, and Sunday, Oct. 24—features 25 wineries, including many not typically open to the public. If you like good wine, you are bound to have a splendid time. Organized by Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, you can visit up to four wineries per day. Tickets ($45 for one day/$80 for both days) are available by reservation only. For more info and a complete list of participating wineries, visit scmwa.com.
Visit Regan Vineyards
Bargetto Winery’s Regan Vineyards is well known for growing supreme grapes for wineries far and wide; they now produce wine under their own label. Bargetto Winery’s John Bargetto says that Regan Vineyards’ wine represents the culmination of his life’s passion and devotion to making exquisite wine from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
“Our family has been dedicated to winemaking in this region for four generations,” Bargetto says. “Wine enriches our lives, encourages togetherness, complements meals and brings joy.” He’s absolutely right!
Regan Vineyards is open Sundays only. For more info, visit reganwinery.com.
From ocean views to fish primarily sourced from the docks right below, Johnny’s Harborside delivers a comprehensive coastal dining experience at the Santa Cruz harbor. Even executive chef Nichole Robbins, who has been with Johnny’s for four years, considers herself a product of the harbor. Robbins has worked in food service since the age of 15; she was also a behavioral therapist for 20 years. The seafood-centric California cuisine boasts Latin and Asian influences that are accessible to all. Menu favorites include spicy cioppino, mojo-style fish dishes and grilled fish tacos. Hours are Wednesday-Sunday from 3:30-8:30pm. GT asked Robbins about her love of seafood and whether there are similarities between cooking and behavioral therapy.
Where does your passion for seafood come from?
NICHOLE ROBBINS: It started by going out fishing at 3am with my dad as a child, right out of the Santa Cruz Harbor. I lived close to the harbor too, so I basically grew up there. When I went to college in Boston, I worked at a prominent farmers market that sold every kind of seafood on the East Coast. I also spent time in New Orleans and Southern California and I’ve always loved coastal towns. It’s intuitive for me. Now being at Johnny’s, it feels like a full-circle moment, being able to work at and look at the harbor that I love and call home every day. My goal is to evoke that sense of feeling comforted and being at home through the flavors of the dishes that I serve.
How do cooking and behavioral therapy parallel?
There is this common thread of uniqueness that happens each time you’re having an interaction with someone you’re providing therapy to or the components of a dish. In therapy and cooking, when you’re looking for a specific result, you’re honing in on one important part of the whole, and once you’ve identified what works, you can really build on it. They both require not only great multitasking skills but also micro-focus on small details. Once the little things come together, you can really see the whole person or dish come to life, and it’s a cool thing to step back and watch.
493 Lake Avenue, Santa Cruz, 831-479-3430; johnnysharborside.com.
Now celebrating its second anniversary, Barceloneta continues to specialize in flavor entertainment, whether you dine indoors or takeout. Salads inflected with cloudlike chickpeas. Noodles in squid ink topped with strips of pepper and cubes of chorizo. It’s easy to put together a meal of many harmonizing flavors, just like we did last week.
First off was the order of Fideos ($14), a vermicelli-like thin pasta bathed in squid ink and tossed with fresh Monterey Bay squid. Micro-diced chorizo bits added welcome flavor hits; I love the idea of using sausage as a condiment within the dish itself. Piquillo peppers, chili threads and unctuous aioli pulled all the elements together into dreamy bites of faraway flavor.
Along with the Fideos, we shared the outstanding Ibiza Hippie Salad ($13), packed to go into broad swaths of shredded kale, cubes of roasted yam, preserved lemon, ribbons of pink pickled onion, and sunflower seeds. Two little containers sat within the salad box—one of flash-fried chickpeas that burst in the mouth into light nutty textures, and another of a puree of carrot, ginger and vinegar. This sauce would be addictive even on breakfast cereal. But on the gorgeous spiced greens, it was the stuff of high satisfaction. The Ibiza salad usually also involves plenty of the North African pasta called freekeh, but we’d ordered a gluten-free version of the dish, which meant no freekeh, but plenty of other ingredients.
Our other main dish was one of my Barceloneta favorites, the plump Gambas sauced with olive oil, sherry, chiles, and lots and lots of thin slices of garlic ($18). The shrimp were, in a word, perfect. Succulent, tender—not dry or overcooked, as can happen with carry-out orders. And they arrived with toasted slices of Companion baguette to help soak up all that unctuous sauce. A meal to repeat—often. Barceloneta, 1541 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Open 5:30-8:30, closed Sunday and Monday.
Let them Eat Joze!
Foodie for the People,a colorful documentaryon the well-seasoned subject of Jozseph Schultz and India Joze Restaurant, gets its world premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at the Del Mar Theatre. Jon Silver’s film contains many interviews with restaurant principals and local fans (including myself) of Schultz’s astounding culinary skills over many decades. Donations at the door. Proof of Covid vax or a negative Covid test within 72 hours is required. Masks required. Register on Eventbrite to get free tickets. A brief Q&A at Del Mar will be followed by a reception at India Joze, 418 Front St., Santa Cruz, 831-325-03633.
Vintners’ Fest
Autumn is not only harvest time in our bountiful winegrowing region, it’s also the perfect time to visit some of our panoramic wineries and discover new wines. Over two dozen wineries are showcased at this year’s Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains Fall Vintners’ Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23-24. Reservations are required, so get your tickets now—$45 for one day, $80 for two. Attendees can visit up to four wineries each day, enjoying flights of three-five wines at each. Details and tickets at winesofthesantacruzmountains. com
Great PumpkinYes, we pay a price to live here, but one of the rewards is the chance to enjoy an abundance of great bakeries, breads, and pastries. And sure enough, the flavors of the season are suddenly on the pastry shelves of our coffeehouses, as well. Pro tip: The best that anything gluten-free will ever taste is the seasonal GF pumpkin muffin made by Manresa Breads and available locally for a well-spent $5.50 at Verve. Go early in the day; these light, fragrant, complex little cakes sell out fast.
